Nellie's Big Girl Bedroom

And just like that... she's a big girl with a big girl bed!

I've learned a lot of lessons since Henry's toddler days, the biggest of those? Let them set the pace. With Henry I was all about pushing him to the next milestone, with Eleanor I tried to slow down and savor it a little more. Our transition to big girl bed was on no one's timeline but her own, and thanks to waiting, it's been smooth sailing - no meltdowns, no escaping, no nap time parties, etc. Obviously this can't work for everyone, but it's done wonders in this house so I'm gonna preach anything that I think might make someone's life easier. 


When her third birthday rolled around, I realized that her crib was barely containing those long legs and that growing stuffed animal collection - so I hit the Facebook marketplace looking for a bed! I found a full size bed - headboard, footboard and connecting pieces - in good condition, for $25! There was no doubt it would need a paint job to be the bed of my... err... Eleanor's dreams so I took the bed and a quilt sham straight to Jill Bednar, at Southbank Gift Co


Southbank carries Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®, and Jill has taught 700+ students in her hands-on painting workshop. I've always been super intimidated, but Jill reassured me that this would be the perfect project to get my feet wet! She was right, I'm hooked. 

  

Looking at the paint color selection, I didn't see a single color that was going to work with my idea of her bedroom. But lucky for me, we weren't limited by the shelf stock. Jill knew right away that by mixing 50/50 burgundy and white, we would get the perfect "Princess Pink" as Nellie calls it. We tried the new color out on a small piece of wood, it was total love! 

 

 

After cleaning up the headboard with some KrudKutter, we got started painting. Two words people... Instant Gratification. That's the biggest benefit to Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint®. No sanding, no priming, excellent coverage, quick dry times and instant gratification. Just look at this before and after! TAA DAAA!

 

 

 After the paint was dry we did a small white wash technique to really highlight the grooves of the headboard, this also helped tie in Nellie's white dresser. I could not be more pleased with the outcome. 

 

 

 If you're ready to flip a hand me down piece of furniture or a market place find, I highly recommend grabbing a seat in Jill's next class! You'll work with the entire line of Annie Sloan® products, test the techniques on scrap wood and hone in your skills before the evening is over.  A $25 bed, a small paint investment, and a few hours worth of work and Nellie has a beautiful bed she can enjoy for years to come. 

 

And for those of you who need to hear this... close the parenting book, put down the smart phone, make every effort to soak up the stage you're in now and allow your child to set the pace. There's a very real possibility that Nellie is our last baby, so if you need me, I'll be sneaking into her room every morning for a wake up snuggle session. 

XOXO Cassie 

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Additional photos...

 

 

Item Sources...

Rainbow Quilt... Pottery Barn

Canopy... Pillowfort By Target

Dresser... IKEA

Bookshelf... Amazon


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